Efficiency and cost-effectiveness of advanced EMS in West Germany

A model study was performed by an economist in Lower Frankonia (a mostly rural area of West Germany with several urban centers) to examine the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the emergency medical service that included prehospital physician presence. To perform this examination about $3.5 million were spent to improve organization and communication within the local emergency medical service, to purchase additional equipment and further emergency vehicles, and to install prehospital emergency physician service. The median response time was lowered to 6 minutes. This report surveys whether these reforms and extra fundings were beneficial and cost-efficient.